House of Habsburg

The House of Habsburg was one of the most influential royal houses of Europe, ruling the Holy Roman Empire from 1438 to 1740 in addition to Austria, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Croatia, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain. The family originated with Count Radbot of Aargau, who built Habsburg Castle in Swabia around 1025. His grandson Count Otto of Aargau used "Count of Habsburg" as his title, and in 1273 Rudolf von Habsburg was elected King of Germany after being Count of Swabia; in 1276, he became the ruler of Austria, which the Habsburg ruled until 1918. Dynastic marriages led to the family expanding to Burgundy, Spain, Bohemia, Hungary, and other lands, and in 1519 Carlos I of Spain was also elected Holy Roman Emperor. His abdication in 1556 led to the Spanish Habsburg and German Habsburg branches separating, although they often intermarried, creating incestuous children whose deformed jaws were notorious. The inbred family would produce several afflicted children, including Carlos II of Spain, whose jaw problem meant that he could barely eat. Carlos' death in 1700 ended the Habsburg branch in Spain, and Maria Theresa of Austria's death in 1780 ended the House of Habsburg. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine took over with Joseph II of Austria's acession to the throne, and this dynasty would rule until the end of World War I in 1918.